Compliance & Accreditation

Organisations trust Consultus to help them understand and respond to the latest legislation and rules on energy efficiency, carbon emissions, building regulations and more: to achieve measurable benefits and avoid penalties without incurring a serious administrative burden.

Our Compliance and Accreditation team is available to ensure compliance processes, strategies and responses are always up to date.

In many cases, we are also delivering Bureau Services and Bill Validation, including data on our client’s consumption and costs, so we can align these insights with compliance activity to enable our clients to take demand reduction, environmental and carbon commitment reductions even further: into proactive energy management programmes that deliver long-term value.

World-Class Expertise

Helping our commercial and public sector clients to navigate through the maze of statutory, legislative and voluntary requirements, we work in the following areas of Compliance and Accreditation:

CRC – the Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme is the UK’s compulsory climate change and energy scheme, which affects up to 30,000 organisations and has a number of phases.

ESOS – the a mandatory energy assessment and energy saving identification scheme for larger UK organisations, with a requirement to measure total energy consumption.

CHPQA –the Combined Heat and Power Quality Assurance programme is a government initiative designed to monitor, assess and improve the quality of combined heat and power (CHP).

EU ETS – the European Union Emissions Trading System is designed to combat climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions in cost-effective ways.

TM44 – air conditioning (AC) inspections are legally required under Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations (EPBR), using guidance from the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE).

GHG Reporting – the UK government requires that quoted companies must report their annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in their directors’ report.

CRC – Carbon Reduction Commitment

We offer an end-to-end service for the UK government CRC (Carbon Reduction Commitment) Energy Efficiency scheme. Participation is mandatory for most UK companies who use electricity through half-hourly metering – and we can provide support every step of the way, from reviewing operations through CRC registration and data collection to annual reporting. Ensuring CRC compliance means organisations can avoid significant financial penalties – while proactive strategies to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions can result in substantial energy and financial savings. CRC services can include:

CRC Consulting

CRC Scheme Registration

Detailed CRC Information Packs

Data Collection and Data Cleansing

Data Audits and Energy Audits

Footprint Reporting

Annual Reporting

CRC Evidence Packs

Carbon Management Strategies

Training: Energy Awareness

SECR – Streamlined Energy & Carbon Reporting

The Streamlined Energy & Carbon Reporting framework relating to public disclosure of carbon and energy use will apply to all quoted companies and large UK incorporated unquoted companies. The reporting framework follows the closure of the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme and applies throughout the UK and is likely to impact nearly 12,000 businesses.

Your business will need to report, as of April 2019 if:

You are a UK Quoted Company listed on the main market of the London Stock Exchange; a European Economic Area; or is admitted to dealing on the New York Stock Exchange or NASDAQ

You are a large UK company or Large LLP as defined by the Companies Act 2006 (Turnover £36million or more, balance sheet £18million or more, number of employees 250 or more)

Report on any energy efficiency measures put in place within the company.

Previous years energy use and GHG emissions (except in the first year)

Methodologies used in calculation of disclosures

*Scope 3 emissions associated to business travel in rental cars or employee-owned vehicles where they are responsible for purchasing fuel. Other Scope 3 emissions are voluntary.

Who is exempt from SECR?

The introduction of a formal statutory de-minimis threshold set at 40,000 kWh per annum exempts companies with energy usage below the threshold from reporting.

An exemption to SECR reporting would also apply to those unquoted companies where it would not be practical to obtain some or all of the SECR information.

Is there a deadline?

Businesses will be required to implement SECR for financial years beginning on or after 1st April 2019, reporting deadlines will depend on your current Financial Reporting period:

Is the Scheme Enforced?

The Conduct Committee of the Financial Reporting Council is responsible for monitoring compliance of company reports and accounts with relevant reporting requirements, the Conduct Committee can:

Enquire into cases where it appears that relevant disclosures have not been provided

Apply to the court for a declaration that the annual report of accounts do not comply with the requirements

ESOS – Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme

For qualifying UK organisations, our specialist team can help to ensure compliance with this mandatory energy assessment scheme, which is administered by the UK government’s Environment Agency. Compliance with the second phase of ESOS must be completed and reported to the Environment Agency by 5th December 2019. Organisations that meet the criteria must carry out ESOS assessments every four years: audits of the energy used by their buildings, industrial processes and transport, and so identify cost-effective energy saving measures. With ESOS applying to large UK undertakings and their corporate groups, it can also apply to not-for-profit bodies and other non-public sector undertakings large enough to meet the criteria. Non-compliance, including failing to submit compliance assessments on time, can result in a range of penalties, from publication of non-compliance online to a £50,000 fixed penalty fine plus £500 per day. We will advise you if you qualify and then manage site audits: appointing a qualified Lead Assessor to collect all of the data required. There is only a limited pool of talent trained and certified to carry out detailed ESOS assessments, and we partner with the leading accredited bodies.

CCA – Climate Change Agreement

CCAs are voluntary agreements made between UK industry and the government’s Environment Agency, aimed at reducing energy usage and carbon dioxide emissions. CCA were established to enable eligible energy-intensive sectors such as manufacturing to reduce the cost of the Climate Change Levy (CCL), a standing charge on energy and gas bills, in return for committing to pre-determined energy efficiency targets. The scheme is now in Phase 2 (April 2013 to March 2023) Our expert team including Carbon Consultants and highly experienced Data Analysts work alongside Consultus clients to develop a robust CCA application, which is then submitted to the Environment Agency. Following approval of an application, our team then completes and submits the forms required to enable relief on CCL charges. Organisations holding a CCA can reduce Climate Change Levy costs by up to 90% on electricity bills and 65% on other fuels.

CHPQA – Combined Heat and Power Quality Assurance

The CHP Quality Assurance programme (CHPQA) is a voluntary scheme designed to provide a practical method to assess all types and sizes of Combined Heat and Power (CHP) schemes in the UK. The simultaneous generation of heat and power in a single process is one of the most cost-effective ways to make carbon savings, and is seen to play plays a key role in environmental programmes. CHP schemes are assessed on the basis of their energy efficiency and environmental performance, ensuring the associated fiscal benefits are in line with real-life environmental performance. Our expert team supports clients in achieving successful CHPQA certification, from programme registration onwards. This grants eligibility to a range of benefits including Renewable Obligation Certificates, Renewable Heat Incentive, Carbon Price Floor (heat) relief, Climate Change Levy (CCL) exemption, Enhanced Capital Allowances and preferential Business Rates.

EU ETS – European Union Emissions Trading System

The EU ETS was the world’s first major carbon market and still its largest. Consultus expertise can help to ensure that organisations can engage with the system in the most effective and focused ways. Now in its third phase (2013-2020), the system is intended to ensure carbon emissions are cut where it costs the least to do so, with a robust carbon price promoting investment in cleaner low-carbon technologies. EU ETS works on the cap and trade principle. A cap is set on the total amount of certain greenhouse gases that can be emitted, which is reduced over time so total emissions fall. Within this cap, organisations receive or buy emission allowances they can trade with each other, and are able to buy limited amounts of international credits from emission-saving projects around the world. A limit on the allowances available ensures their value. After each year, an organisation has to surrender enough allowances to cover all emissions to avoid fines. If the organisation reduces emissions, it can retain spare allowances to cover future needs or sell them to another organisation that is running short of allowances.

CIBSE TM44 – Air Conditioning Inspections

Air conditioning (AC) inspections are a legal requirement under the Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations (EPBR). The objective is to improve the energy efficiency of commercial and public buildings, and reduce carbon emissions. If your organisation has a total installed air conditioning capacity of 12kW or more, it must be inspected to ensure it meets performance standards. Consultus experts are accredited CIBSE Air Conditioning Inspectors and fully qualified to conduct detailed assessments of systems. This can form part of wider efforts to reduce their carbon footprint, driving down energy consumption and saving money on energy bills.

GHG Emissions – Greenhouse Gas Reporting

Under the Companies Act 2006 (Strategic and Directors’ Reports) Regulations 2013, the UK government requires that quoted companies must report annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in their directors’ report. We can provide a comprehensive GHG reporting service that enables our clients to meet all reporting obligations in this area. This requirement is based on the premise that effective carbon reporting is an essential early step to help reduce emissions. By measuring and reporting their GHG emissions, organisations can start setting targets and designing carbon and energy management strategies to push down demand and reduce emissions. The UK government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) estimates that reporting “will contribute to saving four million tonnes of CO2 emissions by 2021”.

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